The Art Institutes Interviews: Parker Trumble

Today's interview from the Art Institutes show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week is with designer Parker Trumble.

Emma: What is the inspiration for your collection?

Parker: My inspiration is called Newetric Beginnings. Newetric is new modern, so I’m trying to mix industry with nature. So it has that industrial feel of buildings and architecture mixed in with nature. The industrial part is the use of origami, and the nature part of it is the lace on four ply silk.

E: What kinds of materials are you using besides the silk and lace?

P:I am using metal - yeah, I have metal wire on one of the corsets that I did. That’s really the biggest part, it’s quite heavy. There is a heavy bead that I’m using on one of the dresses. Also I have leather to support the wire from underneath.

E: Do you have any memories or advice from college that you want to share?

P: Just, in order to do what you want to do in life, sometimes you need to reflect on what it is you really like to do. It took me a little longer to figure it out, I’m a little older than most of the people here. I had to have life experience to figure out what I wanted to do. I was in the military for 11 years and being in Italy for 8 really showed me this industry. To push people to follow their dreams, it’s very cliche, but hard work, determination and passion can make someone get to a point like this.

E: What kind of experience did you have with internships?

P: I actually did my internship with Perry Ellis after winning a competition at school, and I did my internship there and now I’m an assistant designer there.

E: When did you become an assistant designer?

P: About six months ago. To be able to work there is a dream come true.

E: Ideally, do you see yourself as a head of an already established fashion house (ie Balmain, Givenchy, Balenciaga), or do you see yourself running your own namesake brand?

P: Perhaps one day, with more experience, I would say it would be great to have me running my own brand, but that’s down the line. What I’ve learned is there’s a lot of experience to be had before getting to that. To be able to do my own designs, with no limitations, would be amazing.

E: Are you nervous?

P: At the moment, no. I was yesterday when I had to stand up and talk in front of about 200 people but other than that, there’s not a whole lot I can do now and it’s going to go on the runway no matter what.

credit for photos to Elvia Gobbo